I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Curse of the Dead Man's Diamond
by Christyne E. Morrell
Published by Delacorte Press on September 17, 2024
Setting: Casaluna, Florida
Genres: Middle Grade Mystery
Pages: 306
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
In this middle-grade mystery, eleven year old Charlie moves from NYC to Florida only to find herself in the haunted Winklevoss Manor. To her surprise, she's not alone—she's joined by three mischievous ghosts cursed for snatching a dead man's diamond.
After twelve-year-old Charlie moves from New York City to sweaty, sticky Florida, she’ll do anything to get back home.
Even if it involves ghosts.
Winklevoss Manor, Charlie’s new house, is a towering Victorian mansion famous for one thing—it’s haunted. Three ghosts—Ada, Arthur, and Guff—live there, and not by choice. They’re trapped, cursed for stealing a dead man’s diamond. A diamond that, just like the ghosts, is still in the house. And this gets Charlie thinking. . .
Maybe if she can find the diamond and sell it, Charlie’s family could have enough money to move back to the city. But lifting the curse isn’t that simple, especially when she’s pitted against the school bully and three unruly spirits. It’s frightening to think about, but what if the only way to get rid of the ghosts and curses is by doing what Charlie fears the most—confronting the past that haunts her?
The Curse of the Dead Man Diamond by Christyne Morrell has Charlie thinking that she could quickly return to New York by finding the diamond that has cursed the original family of the house.
Will Charlie take the diamond for her own means? Or will she do the right thing by confronting her past?
Charlie Hess
Steve, Charlie’s dad, moved her down to Florida so she wouldn’t have to travel around New York City alone anymore. Charlie, though, does want that and will go to any means necessary to move them back, even if that means putting a curse on her own family. She is stubborn at twelve and doesn’t want to give Florida a chance.
I like that Charlie knows what she wants, even if she doesn’t see the big picture of why her dad moved them to a small town in Florida. The one thing I dislike is that Charlie doesn’t try to like Florida or even give it a chance, especially with the other middle schoolers.
The Ghosts
Winklevoss Manor has three ghosts in residence. Ada and Arthur Winklevoss were the owners of the house and the ones who put a curse on themselves by not throwing back the diamond that they found on the beach into the ocean. The other ghost is Guff, who died because he was trying to find the diamond.
I enjoyed reading the chapters dedicated to the ghosts, as it was fun to see what they did.
Five Stars
My rating for The Curse of the Dead Man Diamond by Christyne Morrell is five stars, and I recommend it. Ms. Morrell did an excellent job, as I felt that I was over in Florida with Charlie, trying to find the diamond while learning about the house’s original owners.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Curse of the Dead Man Diamond by Christyne Morrell.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
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About Christyne E. Morrell
Christyne Morrell writes middle-grade novels across a number of genres. Whether they take place in quirky seaside towns or fantastical, faraway kingdoms, her stories all have one thing in common: clever kids accomplishing extraordinary things, like conquering a curse, overthrowing a king, or taking down an evil, brain-hacking corporation. Christyne believes that middle-grade books should challenge, intrigue, and inspire young readers – but above all, never underestimate them.
Christyne is the author of the novels Kingdom of Secrets and Trex, which was named an Eleanor Cameron Notable Book for Excellence in Science Fiction and selected for the Sequoyah Book Awards Masterlist. Her third novel, CURSE OF THE DEAD MAN’S DIAMOND, comes out Fall 2024. She is also the author of the picture book, Abra, Cadabra, and Bob; poetry book, The Fool Catcher; and numerous poems and short stories that have appeared in children’s magazines.
Christyne lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband, daughter, and beagle. She can be found online at her website and on Instagram.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 Goodreads RC
- 2024 Middle Grade Reading Challenge
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